Some Nitty Gritty Points Usage Questions

I've been reading for about a week straight and I have some nitty-gritty points usage questions. It's going to be long. Sorry!

Now that our family has gotten hooked on staying at a Disney property, and we've reached the family size that only a 2 bedroom villa can legally hold (now that the younger twins are turning 3 we can no longer fit in an Art of Animation suite, awesome as it was), If we want to continue staying at a Disney resort I think it makes financial sense to buy DVC. We would buy resale and not need to finance.

I have yet to make the full details, power point presentation to my husband making the case for it, and I want to make sure I get all the facts right before the big meeting.

Here's how I think we'll visit. Typically 3rd or 4th week in January in a 2 bedroom for 5-7 days. We have stayed in and like SSR and OKW so I'd most likely buy SSR. Occasionally we'd go end of Aug but not in the same year. As far as frequency, we'd probably go twice in three years.

I'm trying to maximize the financial benefits, so I wouldn't want to overbuy points for both up-front and MF reasons. (And if we see we needed more points or end up liking other resorts better we could always add another contract!)

I was thinking of buying in the next few months and the first visit to be January 2015. I was also thinking that for that first trip we'd like to bring along more family, causing us to need 2 2-bedrooms.

First: UY September or December seems like the best target for us, right?

Second: As I'm looking at the listings, I'm not sure how UY interplays with annual points. For example, Lets say I bought SSR. In Feb 2014 can I make a reservation for 2 2-bedrooms in SSR (11 months ahead) for Jan 2015 using 2014 points, 2015 points and borrowing extra from 2016 if needed? Or do I need to wait til the start of a UY to be able to use all 3? This part confuses me.

Third: If after that first big trip typically we want to just get a 2 bedroom at SSR or OKW for 7 days, or try for one of the other resorts for 5 days, is it common to use banking and borrowing to make that happen on a smaller contract? For example, if we buy 180pts, year 1 we use 180 plus borrow 40 to stay at OKW. Year 2 we use remaining 140 plus borrow 100 to stay at SSR, year 3 we only have 80 points so we bank them and skip. Year 4 we use banked 80 and 140 of that year to stay at OKW. Year 5 we have banked 40 plus 180 to stay at OKW again. Year 6 we skip. And so on.

Or can we just buy 120 pts and go every other year? Am I thinking about this correctly?

I think you might want to get the DVD showing the resorts, SS was my least favorite. Do you mind going every other year? Otherwise, look for a larger contract. Since those are generally harder to sell, you ought get a good deal. Look around 200 - 220 points.

I agree with the pp about checking other resorts. We own at AKL and it is awesome with kids. Also the value 2 bdr is a really nice point saver. SSR is nice but it is really big and far to walk to go to the main house to get food or a drink refill.
I think the idea of going twice every 3 years would work out. You may have issues if you have to cancel one year because borrowing is a final transaction and the points cannot be banked. You may also find yourself in the situation that so many of us do...you want more points! DVC resorts will spoil you.

If you live in NJ, will you always be able to go in January? Once your kids are older, will school absences become a problem? We ran into that. Once our kids got to middle school, missing school became an issue. The schools didn't like it, and neither did our kids. We started going in August.

I only mention this so you can make sure you own enough points for trips during school vacations if it becomes a problem at some point.

If you live in NJ, will you always be able to go in January? Once your kids are older, will school absences become a problem? We ran into that. Once our kids got to middle school, missing school became an issue. The schools didn't like it, and neither did our kids. We started going in August.

I only mention this so you can make sure you own enough points for trips during school vacations if it becomes a problem at some point.

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Thanks for your thoughtful response!

My kids go to a private school whose vacation is always mid-end of January. That will take us through 'til college!

I think you might want to get the DVD showing the resorts, SS was my least favorite. Do you mind going every other year? Otherwise, look for a larger contract. Since those are generally harder to sell, you ought get a good deal. Look around 200 - 220 points.

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We stayed in SSR and OKW previously and liked them enough that I feel that we should buy SSR points because we wouldn't be disappointed if we couldn't book a stay elsewhere for our dates. I'm sure we'll try to sample them all in good time!

1. If intent is to go January or sometimes late Aug, Sep is not the use year you want. It has to do with being able to bank if you have to cancel. You must bank by end of eighth month in a use year and generally you want a use year month that falls shortly before usual annual trip time (Dec is ideal for Jan trips). The worst use month is one that starts the month immediately after you usually go (Sep is the worst for Aug trips). If Jan and Aug are your usual times, the month that gives you the best hedge for both is Aug.

2. Not sure it is a good idea to base purchase on concept of usually going late Jan (or getting use year that is ideal for that). That is in the lowest point cost season but you need to consider that once the kids hit six and are in kindergarten, you will start to face the issue that the kids cannot go during school times which usually rules out late Jan and late Aug and relegates you to mostly high point magic and premier seasons. Your analysis seems to assume that will not occur.

3. Also, be aware of the main rule for changing points needed. DVD must keep the annual total points applicable to a resort the same but can raise points for one particular time during the year while lowering them in another time. Thus, the points you might need for late Jan could go up (or down) in the future if Disney does a point shift due to changes in demand (it has done them before). Thus, it is often recommended that you purchase a point cushion, some amount of points above what the charts currently show for your usual time so you can absorb a point shift.

3. I think your point calculations and borrowing discussion is correct but just in case: As to use of points you can always book 11 months out at home resort and 7 at others and use year is irrelevant to that rule. Whenever you go you can use banked, current or borrowed points. It is for that issue use year has an impact in determining whether you need to bank or borrow. Assume a Dec use and a Jan trip. In Feb 2014, you can call and reserve home resort for stay in Jan 2015. If you have Dec 2013 points, you would need to bank them for that trip, the Dec 2014 points would be the "current" use year points for that trip (even though you are calling to reserve in Feb 2014), and if need be when you reserve you could borrow any or all of the Dec 2015 points for that trip. Now consider what happens if for that same trip your use year is Feb. You call Feb 2014 to reserve Jan 2015 which is during your Feb 2014 (to Jan 31, 2015) use year. If you had Feb 2013 points that you wanted to use for that trip, you would need to have banked them by Sep 30, 2013 to use them. Your Feb 2014 points are the "current" use year points, and the Feb 2015 points can be borrowed.

We stayed in SSR and OKW previously and liked them enough that I feel that we should buy SSR points because we wouldn't be disappointed if we couldn't book a stay elsewhere for our dates. I'm sure we'll try to sample them all in good time!

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Great reasons for buying in either place, also with SSR comes the Tree house Villas. We own at OKW, AKV, and now Villas at Grand Floridian, but those Tree houses still call us. Plus at this time it's much easier to buy resale at SSR. We have stayed at all resorts in the contiguous states, so our points have worked at all for them for now.

2. Not sure it is a good idea to base purchase on concept of usually going late Jan (or getting use year that is ideal for that). That is in the lowest point cost season but you need to consider that once the kids hit six and are in kindergarten, you will start to face the issue that the kids cannot go during school times which usually rules out late Jan and late Aug and relegates you to mostly high point magic and premier seasons. Your analysis seems to assume that will not occur.

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Our kids' private school does winter break mid-end January instead of December, and starts school after Labor Day. That will take us through 'til college. That's why I use it as a starting place for choosing UY. Of course I will be open to loaded contracts and good deals given my 1/15 hopes!

We stayed in SSR and OKW previously and liked them enough that I feel that we should buy SSR points because we wouldn't be disappointed if we couldn't book a stay elsewhere for our dates. I'm sure we'll try to sample them all in good time!

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S.S. has a great value for the points....they will just run out earlier. You said you liked them enough.....find somewhere you love. You most likely will be able to book for January 7 monts out. Try Boardwalk, or Beachclub.....they are awesome.

I agree with your UY thinking as to December or September being good. Also, you cannot borrow more than one year ahead. So if you are using 2014 UY you can borrow 2015 but not 2016. As for specific scenarios you presented, I am going to leave those to more experienced DVCers who may have tried the same thing. Good luck with your decision!

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Yeah the poster who said September is bad if you vacation in August is right. I wasn't thinking about that. Just about vacationing in January. Didn't mean to lead you astray!